Unitary guiding and latching means for automobile hoods



May 2?, 1941. w. H. KRAUE 2,243,?58

UNITARY GUIDING AND LATCHING MEANS FOR AUTOMOBILE HOODS original Filed May 18, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 PWV M m y 9 i941= w. H. KRAUSE 2,243,758

UNITARY GUIDING AND-LATCHING MEANS FOR AUTOMOBILE HOODS Original Filed May 18, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 34 33 I5 flmfiaw" I 42 Zia Z54)" fffzrazzse Patented May 27, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE UNITARY GUIDING AND LATCHING MEANS FOR AUTOMOBILE HOODS Walter H; Krause, Chicago, Ill., assignmto Chicago Forging & Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Original application May 18, 1939, Serial No.

274,315. Divided and this application Decemher 1, 1939, Serial No. 307,051

Claims.

My invention relates to an improvement in latches" and has for one purpose theprovision of an improved latch mobile hood.

. Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims.

The present application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 274,315, filed in the United States Patent Oifice on May 18, 1939, now Letters Patent No. 2,227,144, dated Dec. 31, 1940.

grammatically in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevation with parts in vertical longitudinal section;

Fig. 2 is'a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

and

Fig.5 is a section similar to Fig. the hood closure in raised position.

Like parts are indicated by like characters throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, I generally indicates an automobile hood and 2 a closure therefor, transversely and horizontally hinged at its rear end as at 3. It will be understood, however, that the hinge shown is diagrammatic and that any suitable mounting for the rear end of the closure 2 may be employed. 4 generally indicates the instrument panel of the vehicle. It will be understood that in the claims, however, I may employ the term hood to indicate the 3, illustrating hood closure 2, since it cooperates with the normally fixed portion I to constitute a complete hood or enclosure for the engine.

Mounted on the hood I is a member which I may call a bottom plate, generally indicated at 6 and shown in some detail for example in Figs. 2

for the closure of an auto- Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

and following. It is illustrated as having a transversely elongated aperture 1 surrounded by a downwardly turned flange 8. The plate 6 may be mounted in any suitable fashion upon the hood I. I illustrate for example flanges 9 at each side of the hood I to which the plate i may be secured by bolts I0 or by any other suitable securing means.

Any suitable adjusting slots may be provided on the plate 6, as shown for example at II in Fig. 2. Preferably the plate 6 is mounted for lateral adjustment, the slots II being laterally or transversely elongated, whereby the aperture I may be aligned with the latching means below described. l2 indicates a downwardly turned flange adapted to receive the secondary or safety latching member below described. An additional rearward reinforcing flange I3 may be provided.

Mounted on the lower side of the plate 6 I illustrate a latch member I4 Sho as formed of sheet metal and mounted on or forming part of a lever I5 pivoted asat I6 for rotationv about a vertical pivot and urged by a spring I'I toward I illustrate my invention more or less dialatching position. I8 is any suitable retaining member for the lever I5 which may be secured to the bottom of the plate 6. I9 is a, downwardly projecting lug on the end of the lever I5 which is adapted to receive any suitable operating element or rod 20 which terminates in any suitable operating handle member diagrammatically shown at 2I. The member 2I may be mounted on or adjacent the instrument panel 4 of the I vehicle, in a position convenient to the drivers seat.

22 indicates a transversely extending plate mounted on the hood closure 2, for example upon intermediate brackets 23 secured upon the in-- turned lower edges or flanges 24 of the hood closure 2. It will be understood, of course, that any suitable securing and supporting means may be employed. I illustrate the member 22 as mounted for longitudinal adjustment and forthat purpose I provide adjusting slots 25 through which pass any suitable securing bolts 26 whereby the member 22 is secured upon the upper inner flanges of the brackets 23. The transversely extending member 22 is upwardly offset as at 21, which offset may serve as a reinforcing means and is not in general essential. It is also provided with reinforcing flanges 28, shown as upwardly extending.

Mounted on the upwardly offset central portion 64 is a combined centering and locking keeper 29, which may for example be formed of rod stock screw threaded as at 30 and held in position by upper and lower nuts 65, 68. It has secured or formed at its lower end a spear head, or downwardly pointed cone 3! having a generally horizontal upper ledge or locking keeper 34 adapted to receive the lever or locking member It, for example when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 3.

In order to initially raise the member or closure 2 I illustrate as opposed to the plate 6 a generally cylindrical upwardly extending member 60, with a partial top closure ll, centrally apertured as at 62 to admit therethrough a shank of the guiding member or pin .20, and an outward bottom flange Ha. As will be observed from Fig. 3, the head 33 of the pin is located below the bottom of the cylinder 60 when the parts are in looking position, but the internal diameter of the cylinder is sufllcient to permit the head to extend upwardly therethrough. The cylinder iii serves as an abutment, and as a guiding or positioning means for a coil spring 63, which is compressed between the top surface of the plate 8 and the bottom surface of the upper plate 22, when the hood is closed. The upper plate 22 is shown as recessed as at I to receive a square nut or abutment GI screw threaded on the screw threaded portion of the pin 29. 66 is any suitable nut which serves to lock the above described assembly in position.

I provide a secondary or safety latching means which includes a lever or hook 4| with a latching or hook portion proper 42. The hook member is pivoted as at 43 between ears 44 which may be downwardly struck from the upper transverse plate 22. Any suitable means may be employed for urging the hook l2 normally into vertical alignmentwith the securing lip i2. 1 illustrate for example a coil spring 45'. The hook is provided also with a finger or handle piece 6, preferably formed integrally therewith, the purpose of which will later appear.

It will be realized that whereas I have described and illustrated a practical and operative device, nevertheless many changes may be made in the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore wish my description and drawings to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic, rather than as limiting me to my precise showing. For example, whereas I have shown a specific spear shaped rod, it will be understood that variations in form, shape and material may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

Referring to the form herein, I provide a compact structure for carrying a lock or latch which holds the closure portion 2 of the hood in final locked position, and an additional latch 4| which permits a limited upward movement of the membeer 2. For liftingmeans'I provide a spring 63, and a cup-shaped member 60 surrounding the rod 29.

When the member 2 is moved into the closed position in which it is shown for example in Fig. 3, the lever l5, including the latch portion H, is urged into locking position by its controlling spring, and the parts are firmly locked. When the operator releases the lever I! by pulling on the handle 2!, the spring means 63 are ef fective to raise the member 2 a predetermined distance. This distance is preferably suiilcient beneath the lower edge of the member 2 easily,

to contact the handle 46 of the supplemental catch ll. The operator can then, by one unitary movement, lift the member 2 and at the same time rotate the handle 46 sufficiently to move the hook 42 out of vertical alignment with the abutment ledge l2 of the plate 8.

Note that the conic head 33 merges into a cylindrical portion 23a of a length suflicient to engage and provide a proper bearing with the downturned flange 8 of the plate I, Note that this flange I does not entirely surround the aperture penetrated by the head 33, as the latch member It cuts in .at one side or end of the aperture. The cylindrical portion "a of the head 33 engages the flange I at diametrically opposed sides of the head. The length of the aperture l of the plate t permits a certain relative movement of the guiding head and the lower plate I in a longitudinal direction. This is important in connection with the upward and downward movement of the closure, and particularly where lever supports, compound hinges, or the like, are employed for the rear end of the hood.

In the operation of this device, if it happens that an operator, filling station attendant, or the like, does not slam the member 2 down sumciently far to move the parts into locking position, no risk of accident is involved if, as the vehicle starts, wind pressure is suiiicient to raise the hood, as the safety latch or 'hook 4| will permit only a relatively slight'upward movement of the member 2. However, the lifting movement will be sufficient to be apparent to the operator, who can then stop the car and firmly close the member 2. It is advantageous that, when the member 2 is closed, no outsider can normally obtain access to either the latch lever it or to the supplemental catch M. It is only when the operator releases the lever I! by pulling on thehandle 2| that an outsider can have access to the handle-48, and may thereby lift the member 2.- Thus, if the vehicle is locked, with its doors closed, it is safe from any normal tampering.

I claim:

1. In locking means for an automobile hood having hingediy connected members with latchpart mounting members on the respective hood members, one of said mounting members being vertically superposed over the other when the hood is in closed position, a combined centering member and keeper mounted on one of said mounting members, the other mounting member being apertured to receive said keeper in guiding relationship, said keeper including a stem and a head, said head having a portion, adjacent the outer end of the stem, of substantially mounting member whereby, when the keeper is released, the thrust member is adapted to lift the upper hinged member, said thrust member being in the form of a cup surrounding said head, and having an inwardly extending upper flange adapted to engage said head.

2. In locking means for an automobile hood having hingedly connected members with latchpart mounting members on the respective hood members, one of said mounting members being vertically superposed over the other when the hood is in closed position, a combined centering member and keeper mounted on one of said mounting members, the other mounting member being apertured to receive said keeper in guiding relationship, said keeper including a stem and a head, said head the outer end of the stem, of substantially greater diameter than the stem, and having downwardly and inwardly converging walls, a thrust member mounted on and guided by said keeper, and yielding means adapted to urge said member against said opposite latch-part mount ing member whereby, when the keeper is released, the thrust member is adapted to lift the upper hinged member, said thrust member being in the form of a cup surrounding and guided by said head, and having an inwardly extending upper flange adapted to engage said head, the yielding means including a coil spring compressed between said cup and the latch-part mounting member on which the keeper is mounted.

3. In locking means for an automobile hood having hingedly connected members with latchpart mounting members on the respective hood members, one of said mounting members being vertically superposed over the other when the hood is in closed position, a combined centering member and keeper mounted on and vertically adjustable in relation to one of said mounting members, the other mounting member being apertured to receive said keeper in guiding relationship, said keeper including a stem and a head, said head having a portion, adjacent the outer end of the stem, of substantially greater diameter than the stem, and having downwardly and inwardly converging walls, a thrust member mounted on and guided by said keeper, and yielding means adapted to urge said thrust member against said opposite latch part mounting member whereby, when the keeper is released, the thrust member is adapted to lift the upper hinged member, said thrust member being in the form of a cup surrounding and guided by said head,

and having an inwardly extending upper flange adapted to engage said head, the yielding means including a coil spring compressed between said cup and the latch-part mounting member on which the keeper is mounted, said cup having an outwardly extending flange at its opposite end, adapted to receive the outer end or said coil spring and adapted also to engage the opposite latch-part mounting member.

4. In locking means for an automobile hood having hingedly connected members with latch-part mountingmembers on the respective hood members, one or said mounting members being vertically superposed over the other when the hod is in having a portion, adjacent closed position, a combined centering member and keeper mounted on and vertically adjustable in relation to one of said mounting members, the other mounting member ceive said keeper in guiding relationship, said keeper including a stem and a head; said head having a portion, adjacent the outer end of the stem, generally circular in cross section, and of substantially greater diameter than the stem, and a conic portion, a thrust member mounted on and guided by said keeper, and yielding means adapted to urge said thrust member against said opposite latch-part mounting member whereby, when the keeper is released, the thrust member is adapted to lift the upper hinged member, said thrust member being in the form of a cup having a generally cylindrical portion surrounding and guided by said head, and 'having an inwardly extending upper flange adapted to engage said head and serve as a limit for the cup, and having an outwardly extending lower flange adapted to engage the opposite latch-part mounting member.

5. In locking means for an automobile hood having hingedly connected members with latchapertured to receive part mounting members on the respective hood members, one 0! said mounting members being vertically superposed over the other when the hood is in closed position, a combined centering member and keeper mounted on and vertically adjustable in relation to one of said mounting members, the other mounting member being said keeper in guiding relationship, said keeper including a stem and a head, said head having a portion, adjacent the outer end of the stem, generally circular in cross section, and oi substantially greater diameter than the stem, and a conic portion, a thrust member mounted on and guided by said keeper, and yield-' ing means adapted to urge said thrust member against said opposite latch-part mounting member whereby, when the keeper is released, the thrust member is adapted to lift the upper hinged member, said thrust member being in the form 0! a cup having a generally cylindrical portion surrounding and guided by said head, and having 7 an inwardly extending upper flange adapted to engage said head and serve as a limit for the cup, and having an outwardly extending lower flange adapted to engage the opposite latch-part mounting member, the yielding means including a coilspring surrounding the cylindrical portion of the cup and compressed between the cup and the latch-part mounting member on which the, keeper is mounted, and engaging the lower outwardly extending flange or the cup.

ALTER H. KRAUSE.

being apertured to re- 

